Re: [Chrysler300] 1957 Air conditioning

["Burton Bouwkamp" <northburt@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I was a product engineer at the Jefferson Plant in 1957.

As initially designed the 1957 factory air conditioning system did not flow enough cool air so it would not cool the car on hot/humid days. The basic problem was too much restriction (not big enough duct cross sectional area) downstream of the evaporator; i.e. the ducts behind the instrument panel. In January 1957 we knew we were in trouble because the complaints started to roll in from Cuba. (The problem was worse in Cuba because the owner usually rode in the back seat of 4 door Chrysler's). 

This problem was one of the consequences of taking a year out of testing and development of the 1957 models. At that time A/C was one of the last features that was engineered on the car so it was short changed more than other car systems. Also, it was treated as an "add on" option and it should have been engineered into the car as it is today. Another example of the consequence of inadequate testing was the torsion bar failures that our owners experienced in geographical areas using salt to deice the roads. The bars broke near the end due to surface corrosion from snow/salt/mud packed around the bar anchors. THE MESSAGE IS - DON'T SHORTCUT THE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE BECAUSE  OWNERS, DEALERS AND THE COMPANY WILL PAY FOR IT.

We ended up having to conduct a field campaign of all 1957 "C" Bodies built and already in service. The fix was to add a "snorkel" cold air outlet under the instrument panel. The snorkel bypassed the inadequate ducts. The snorkel design was fabricated by John Moren (head of the A/C engineering department) in his hotel room in Havana. When we realized how much trouble we were in the USA, engineers and service personnel were sent all over the USA to teach mechanics how to make and install snorkels. We called in all cars and added snorkels which we had fabricated in local sheet metal shops. They looked terrible but they worked!

I was assigned New Mexico and Arizona. The Director of Service (Claude McClure) said to me, "you are one of the S.O.B.'s that got us in this trouble - you are going to NM and AZ!" I was gone for a month and conducted schools in Yuma, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

My message to Chrysler 300C owners is - if you are restoring a 1957 "C" Body make the A/C system like a 1958 - or even better yet a 1959 - "C" Body.

Burt Bouwkamp  

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: rob kern 
  To: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; keboonstra 
  Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 3:14 PM
  Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] 1957 Air conditioning


    Keith,
  Some thoughts on the A/C issue. My C has factory A/C and I added rear A/C from Old Air Products in Fort Worth. I also added a 1100 cfm condenser fan and a trinary switch to protect the Chrysler compressor. I'm running R-12 as refrigerant and have factory Solex glass since it was a factory A/C car. The Model 900 HVAC system parts are extremely hard to come by and the underdash componentry is a "Rube Goldberg" scenario of Chrysler engineering at best. Fortunately the oil mechanisms and solenoids all work. Many previous owners found getting the A/C system to be cold a venerable money pit with tepid results. I spent countless $$$ thousands getting replacement parts , etc. to get it keeping cold and working to parameters. Starting off with anything short of NOS will be a nightmare of a Stephen King novel proportion. George McKovich installed aftermarket A/C in his non-factory C and is very pleased. Bill Woodman installed a '56 rear unit with a Sandin compressor and is very pleased. Merle Wolfer is working on a factory unit for his D. Jeff Carter knows these units thoroughly and may be able to get you headed in the right direction if you must have a factory unit. My advice would be to contact George McKovich and persue that route since you don't have a factory A/C car. My 2 cents worth. 300'ly, ROB KERN
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: keboonstra 
  To: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 12:34 PM
  Subject: [Chrysler300] 1957 Air conditioning

  OK Folks, our '57 300C has sat in the barn way too much in the summers just because I'm too spoiled rotten to ride around without A/C anymore in a car that doesn't have a flip top. And besides that, it needed a few improvements that are long overdue.

  After owning it now (for the second time) for 26 years, I'm finally taking care of a lot of the things I should have been doing right along. I'm putting in seat belts, re-installing correct carbs, finally putting on that right side mirror, fixing up the armrests, and maybe I'll throw a set of WW radials on it so it can safely hit the road.

  So now I would also like to install a complete original A/C system, and I don't know where to start. Who out there might have everything I'm going to need to accomplish this (both the parts and the knowledge)? I know this won't be cheap, but in my view it will add that much long term value to the car. And it will add immensely to our pleasure in heading halfway across the country for a meet.

  Who's got parts or ideas for a starting point? Your thoughts?

  Many thanks,
  Keith Boonstra
  Holland, Michigan

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